staying up
by Earth Star
Summary: (Part of the Steampunk Jack AU) Six year old Jack makes a bet with Bunny that he can stay awake as long as he can. That should be easy, right?


Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters and I do not want to make any profit from writing this story.

Author's Note: I originally had this idea to be part of Jackanapes but I figured this works better as it's own fic. Also, this story is part of my steampunk Jack AU for those who my be confused about what's going on.

**Staying Up**

Six year old Jack grinned as he adjusted his goggles and pretend his bed was flying through the sky. "Look out! Sky pirates!" He turned back and looked to his toy rabbit who wore a bowl on his head as a helmet. "Get your arrows ready, First Mate! We'll need to be on the look out for-"

"Jack!" Aster voice rang out. "Ya better put ya toys away."

Jack forgot about his game as he glanced to the clock and froze. Oh, no! It was THAT time again.

Right on cue, he heard Aster's feet thump as he climbed the stairs. Jack wasted no time as he grabbed his rabbit, causing the bowl to fall off and dove under the bed. He held his breath and covered his mouth as he saw Aster's feet appear in the room.

"Frostbite?" Aster grumbled and Jack saw Aster's foot tap against the floor. "This game again?"

Jack watched silently as he heard Aster sigh. "Oh well, guess I better look for him elsewhere." He grinned to himself as he watch Aster's feet leave and shut the door.

Fully pleased, Jack crawled out from under the bed and looked to his rabbit. "Did you see that? We tricked him-"

Jack was cut off as arm swooped upon him and plunked him off the floor. Jack dangled, as Aster smirked at him. "Nice try, Kiddo but not quite."

Jack squirmed as Aster carried him into the hall. "Come on, Bunny! Ten more minutes!"

"Nope, ya know the routine. It's time for a bath and then ya goin' to bed."

Jack snarled as he passed by the window. "It's too early for bed, the sun's not down."

Aster sighed as they went into the bathroom. "Cause it's summer, which means the sun is out longer."

Jack kept his pout as Aster stripped him and plunked him into the tub. "But you never go to bed when the sun's up?"

"I'm an adult, so I can stay up," Aster said as he picked up the bottle of shampoo.

"I'm an adult," Jack protested as Aster poured some of the shampoo into Jack's hair and started to scrub him.

Aster chuckled. "Sorry, Frostbite but ya a kid and that means bedtime. Now, shut ya eyes so I don't get shampoo in them."

Jack sighed but obeyed and let Aster rinse the shampoo out of his hair. "It's still not fair."

Aster offered Jack a rubber duck to play with as he started to scrub Jack's back. "It's not about fair. Truth is, Kiddo ya be fallin' asleep anyway. Ya couldn't stay up if ya wanted to."

"I can too!" Jack said as he splashed the water with the duck. "I can stay up as late as you can."

"No, you can't. Ya be out like a light long before I went ta bed."

"I would not!" Jack said with his arms crossed only to have his arm seized by Aster to wash.

The Pooka stared at him silently as he scrubbed like he was debating something. Then once he was done Jack's other arm he looked to Jack seriously. "Tell ya what, Jack, we'll have a bet."

Jack frowned puzzled. "A bet?"

"Yeah, it's like a game." He shook a finger at him. "If ya can stay awake as long as I do ya can set your own bedtime."

Jack beamed but Aster cut him off before he could speak. "But, if ya fall asleep before I go ta bed then no more complainin' about ya bedtime."

"Can we do it tonight?" Jack asked as he leaned over the tub and forced Aster to sit him back down.

"Naw, we'll start fresh tomorrow."

"Why can't we do it tonight?" Jack asked as Aster reached for the face cloth.

"Um…" Aster stuttered for a moment. "I'm hittin' the hay early tonight so I got ta work early tomorrow."

"You're hitting hay?" Jack asked. Why would Bunny want to hit hey? Adults were so weird.

"It means go to sleep," Aster said. "Now, shut ya eyes again so I can wash ya face proper."

Jack shut his eyes and let Aster wash him but he couldn't hide the big grin on his face. Tomorrow was going to be easy!

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It wasn't easy as Jack thought. It was HARD. The day had gone on as it normally went. Aster had dropped Jack off at Ombric's for school and then came to fetch him to bring him home. He had been carrying a small tin that Jack was curious about but Aster said it was some tea Sandy had given him, so Jack didn't give it much thought.

Jack grew excited after supper since he knew Aster wouldn't be forcing him to go to bed. Aster did make Jack take an early bath and dress in his pajamas but Jack didn't care. He was free to stay up as late as he wanted. It was a dream come true. Jack gleefully spent the first few hours playing airship with his bed and then pretended he was rescuing his stuffed rabbit from pirates.

However, it was around 9 pm he realized he was getting tired. Jack didn't realize what was happening until he caught himself yawning a few times while using the broomstick as a sword. He startled himself as he desperately rubbed his eyes.

Jack then tried to distract himself by playing with is blocks to make a castle but found it harder to keep a grip on them than usual. His eyes were half closed as he accidently knocked over his tower for the fifth time.

"Gettin' sleepy there, Frostbite?"

Jack jumped as Aster leaned against the doorframe and chuckled. "N-no," Jack stammered as he stood up. "I'm wide awake!"

"Whatever you say, Jackie," Aster replied as he went to leave. "Let me know when you're ready for bed."

Jack pouted as he folded his arms. No way was he going to be beaten! He was going to win this. Jack then decided he should leave his room so he wouldn't be tempted by his bed which had become more comfy looking as he dragged himself of the room.

He went into the bathroom and tried to splash water on his face to wake him up. It had worked...for about ten seconds before the drowsiness set back in. Jack repeated the process a few more times but found all he did was get his face and his bangs wet.

Jack sighed as he decided to go see what Aster was up to. He found him in the study quietly reading a book. He peeked over the brim of his glasses and smirked at Jack. "Ya came ta surrender?"

"No," Jack replied as he tucked his hands behind his back. "I wanted to see what you were doing."

"I'm readin'," Aster said as he held the book up. "It's the new one Tooth lent me about tales from the north." He leaned forward and beckoned to Jack. "Want me ta read ta ya?"

Jack suspiciously looked Aster over. It could be a trick but he had nothing better to do right now and it seemed safe enough. Jack gave a nod as he scurried over and Aster picked him up into his lap.

"Right, let's start at the beginnin' then," Aster stated as he flipped the pages and shown Jack the illustration of a polar bear. "This is a story of how the polar bear got his white coat."

It didn't take long for Jack to forget they were in the study and let Aster's voice pull him into the world of ice and snow. Jack had forgotten about the bet entirely as he leaned against Aster and snuggled against him.

Aster's voice was soothing as he finished the tale and started the next one. Jack lay contently but as Aster stroked his head, Jack noticed the words on the page began to blur. He found himself snuggling in more and making Aster's chest into a pillow. It wasn't until he found himself shutting his eyes that the alarm bells went off in his head.

Jack scrambled out of Aster's lap and back onto the floor. That had been close!

Aster closed the book and looked at Jack amused. "Ah, I almost had ya, Kiddo," Aster replied. "Ya sure ya don't want ta surrender?"

"Never!" Jack declared as he raced out of the room and sighed as he leaned against the wall. Now what? He felt really tired now, it was like his own body was fighting against him. Jack bit his lip in thought. He needed something noisey to keep him awake.

It was then a thought struck him. North had given him a toy monkey that bang symbols together. He remembered Aster complaining about when Jack would play it nonstop. Jack sprang to his feet and fetched the toy from his room but he didn't dare play it there.

He carried it into the studio and placed it in the middle of the rug and turned it. As he expected, the monkey screeched and bang the symbols together. He didn't feel his eyes want to close as he listened so when the monkey stopped playing Jack turned it again.

It was working! Jack sat and watched the monkey play again and again. Eventually, Jack found himself getting bored but he didn't dare leave the only thing that was keeping him awake. However, his bottom was getting sore from sitting on the rug for so long, so he decided he could at least lay on his side.

He lazily reached out and wound the monkey again. He yawned as the monkey banged the symbols. The monkey finished but Jack found he was too comfortable to move and his eyes were so tired. Jack's mind argued he couldn't risk it but in the end Jack's body won the battle and decided he could shut his eyes for just a moment. Then, he would awake enough to keep going.

However, the moment turned into a minute, then two and then went to sleep.

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"Jackie."

Jack felt a hand lightly shake his shoulder. He blinked half dazed but tried to bury his face into the carpet.

"Jackie," Aster's voice called him again and heard a chuckle as he felt large gentle hands pick him up. "Time to admit defeat, Kiddo."

Jack looked up with half opened eyes to an amused Aster. "What's so funny?" Jack asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Ya are," Aster said as he rose and placed Jack against his shoulder. "Time to put ya into ya bed."

No, not bed. Jack couldn't go to bed, he had to...What was Jack trying to do again? He yawned and buried his face into Aster's shoulder. He was too tired to remember.

Aster rubbed his back as Jack was carried up the stairs. He didn't bother stirring again until Aster lowered him into his bed and felt his toy rabbit placed into his arms.

Jack yawned and snuggled into his pillow as Aster tucked the blankets around him. "Night, Bunny."

Aster nuzzled his forehead and whispered "Sweet dreams, Jack." He then shut his eyes and fell into slumber.

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**10 Years Later...**

Jack laughed as he and Sandy looked through the photo album. "I still can't believe Tooth managed to convince North to wear that suit. He looks like a penguin!"

Sandy chuckled at the photo as he turned the page. He then frowned at a photo of a very disgruntled young Jack as he stood next to a smirking Aster.

Jack looked and gave a half smile. "Oh, I remember that, it's when I lost the bet."

Sandy raised an eyebrow as Jack sipped his tea. "That was when I made a bet with Bunny I could stay up as late as he could without falling asleep." He leaned back in his chair. "I honestly tried but I fell asleep and lost the bet. I must have stayed up until way past midnight."

Sandy stared thoughtfully and then with his sand made the number ten following with a question mark.

"Was it ten years ago?" Jack asked. "Yeah, I was about six. Why?"

Sandy drummed his fingers on the table. He then produced a series of images. First, a tin filled with coffee beans. "The special coffee you drink to keep you awake at night," Jack reasoned. "What about-"

Jack trailed off as the sane changed to an image of Aster approaching Sandy. The sand Sandy gave Aster the tin of coffee beans before the sand Aster turned to walk with a sand image of a young Jack.

Jack's jaw dropped as he interpreted the meaning and looked to Sandy who confirmed with a nod.

"Bunny!" Jack cried as he raced from the kitchen into the studio.

"Ack!" His foster father cried as he jumped up in his seat and nearly dropped his paint brush. "What are ya yellin' about?"

Jack stared accusingly at him as he heard Sandy catch up behind him. "Remember ten years ago, when we made that bet about my bedtime?"

Aster blinked as he frowned but gave a nod. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Did you take Sandy's special coffee to make sure you didn't fall asleep before me?"

Aster was silent as he looked to Sandy who shrugged and had a look saying "You never said it was a secret".

In response, Aster only shrugged nonchalantly. "I did, so?"

Jack's jaw dropped and pointed a finger at him. "You cheated!"

Aster rolled his eyes. "First off, there were no rules about not drinkin' coffee." Aster counted on his fingers. "Second, did ya honestly think I was gonna risk lettin' a six year old set his own bedtime and third," He waved his arms. "It was ten years ago! Why does it matter now?!"

"It's the principle of the matter!" Jack said as he crossed his arms. "I think I should get some compensation here!"

Aster raised a skeptical eyebrow, but gave a shrug. "Alright, I'll buy ya some ice cream later."

Jack's jaw dropped. "I'm 16! Do you really think I can be bought with ice cream?"

"With sprinkles," Aster added dryly as he sat back on his stool.

Jack got quiet but his feet shuffled against the ground. "For the record, I'm accepting that cause as a mature adult I don't see the point in making a big deal about this."

Sandy gave an amused grin hidden until Jack left the room and turned to Aster who grinned smugly.

"What can I say?" Aster said as he turned back to his painting. "I know how my kit's mind works."


End file.
